Image by Jen Kroll Photography

We are super excited to partner with our friends over at 2Bays DJ’s for this post. They put together the most killer party playlists, so we knew they could help us select 9 last dance songs to end your reception with a bang. Here are the selected tracks from our favorite DJs:

Sometimes our clients like to request a final couple’s slow song to end out the night, but by the time it’s played, the guests look around confused that the night ended on a lull. In almost all of these cases the bride and groom will come up and ask for one more “Fun” song for a bit more of a finale. Here are some of our favorite songs to end the night on a definitive high note.

1. Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root  A classic send off tune perfect for a sparkler gilded exit from the reception.
2. Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show For when the gang forms a swaying arm-over-shoulder circle around the newlyweds to close out the night. Songs in a similar vein include “Piano Man” by Billy Joel and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond
3. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey So the bartenders served shots and the guests have warmed up their vocal cords. This is a hit, especially in Michigan, where even though “South Detroit” is technically Windsor, Canada, everyone seems to be from there. Similar songs include AC/DC “Shook Me All Night Long.”
4. Ignition Remix – R Kelly One of those jams from a scratched up mixtape you’ll find in your car one day, Trust us you’re a lot less awkward dancing to it these days, but your dad is still chaperoning so keep it clean out there.  Also keep in mind “Pony” by Ginuwine, and “What’s Your Fantasy” by Ludacris.
5. I Believe In A Thing Called Love –  The Darkness Everyone THINKS they know the lyrics but after the chorus it devolves into mostly mumbles and air guitar.  If you want to watch your guests stumble through a song they thought they knew the lyircs to, you might also like “Wannabe” by the Spice girls or “Paper Planes” by MIA.  If your guests are well behaved, we might even hand them the wireless mic, but don’t worry, we take out the batteries at ten o’clock.
6. Save The Last Dance For Me – Michael Buble When the bride and groom can dance a tango without crushing any toes. Or because your mom just can’t get enough of that Michael Buble.
7. You Know You Like It – DJ Snake A high energy club song that will bring the house down, without burning your grandmother’s ear drums.
8. Never Forget You – Zara Larsson & MNEK This year’s “Feel So Close”, a song about love that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Similar songs include Chainsmokers “Roses” and Major Lazer – “Lean On”
9. Honey I’m Good – Andy Grammar A feel good song sending everyone home with a smile.

For your listening pleasure, we have created a Spotify Playlist with each of the songs above!

Images via Jen Kroll Photography & Studio 6.23

Have you been searching for that perfect detail that will really make your wedding guests say “WOW!”? Something that will be a conversation piece for years to come and leave a lasting memory with you, your family and wedding guests. Here are a few of our top tips and tricks for creating the “wow factor”.

Image via Blaine Seisser Photography

The personal touch
If you really looking for your guests to say “Wow!”, consider putting extra attention into a personalized detail that each guest will receive. For Krista and Jed’s wedding, each guest received a “place card” in to form of a three dimensional, illuminated lantern complete with the guest’s calligraphed name and table number. When hung in a mass overtop a boxwood wall, this stunning entry piece set the tone for the event while guests oohed and ahhed as they entered the ballroom.

Sylvia Weinstock Cake, Image via Forbes

Appeal to the sweet tooth

Take a cue from the “Queen of Cakes”, Sylvia Weinstock, and hire a fantastic baker to create your dream wedding cake. A multiple tier creation complete with edible embellishments and an over-the-top design is sure to create a lasting memory. Extra points will be earned for a fun, unique Groom’s cake.

Image via Marcy Blum

A space that is lounge-worthy
Sometimes your guests want to get out of dodge and chat with an old friend that they haven’t seen in a while. Creating a lounge space that is a bit removed from the party while still keeping the action nearby allows for these intimate and memorable moments to take place. Even if your guest didn’t spend the entire evening dancing the night away, the fact that they were able to re-connect with an acquaintance will make the evening a memorable one.

Image via Gifts for the Good Life

Swag
Who doesn’t love a little swag every now and again? Give your guests something to enjoy upon arrival, as well as, something to take back home and they will feel taken care of for the entire weekend. With Etsy and the all-great-and-powerful Google search, we have access to a plethora of suppliers and artisans who can assist with any and all wedding swag needs. There are also some amazing companies who specialize in creating personalized and branded gifting experiences- shout out to our friends Heather and Susan at Gifts for the Good Life!

Image via Style & Motion

Go out with a BANG!
If you’re at a location that allows it, consider hiring a professional fireworks display company to create a show as the finale to the evening. Nothing can say “WOW!” quite like pyrotechnics after all, and if you’re guests are not expecting it, they’ll be even more impressed. By hiring a professional company, they’ll take the guest work out of local ordinances, permitting, etc. allowing you and your guests to simply enjoy the display!

You may have found yourself longingly admiring the beautiful hand lettering or calligraphy that you’ve surely been seeing all over social media, and wondering to yourself, “How can people do that?” A Day in May’s Emily has been dabbling in the art of calligraphy for a couple of years now and has some tips, tricks and helpful hints to getting started.

Image via Laura Hooper Calligraphy

Take the leap!

First and foremost, the best way to get started in calligraphy is to have the right set of tools in your kit. Emily started with Laura Hooper’s Calligraphy Starter Kit from her online shop and she’s never turned back! Packed with a selection of nibs, ink, an oblique pen holder (wait, what?… Don’t worry, we’ll get to that) a customized pad of sketch paper and some helpful literature, Laura’s kit is a great way to hit the ground running…er…writing.

You don’t need to have good handwriting to be a good calligrapher.

We hear this a lot “Oh I can’t do calligraphy, I have terrible hand writing!” It’s a common misconception that calligraphers have beautiful handwriting in all avenues, and this just isn’t the case. Any calligrapher hopefuls out there need-not worry that they don’t have what it takes, based on their daily handwriting. Give it a try and you may just surprise yourself.

Not all nibs (and pens) are created equal.

Nibs are beautiful little metal pieces, created to hold and spread ink with the pressure of your hand. There are just short of hundreds to try, but you’ll find that there are some you’ll gravitate towards with trial and error. Emily’s favorite nib is the Nikko G Zebra. Although it is considered to be one of the more rigid nibs, meaning it takes more pressure to spread ink, it’s incredibly smooth and very user friendly – great for starting out!

Now, we know that a nib isn’t all that you need to get started on your calligraphy endeavors. You may have noticed this wonky little pen that has a little angle at the end to it. This is referred to as an oblique pen holder and it’s a dream come true. It may seem odd to think about holding a pen that doesn’t directly make straight contact with your paper, but trust us – let the oblique pen do the work for you. The position of the pen allows angles of writing to be captured that might otherwise be difficult to achieve. Get yourself an oblique pen holder and never look back!

Knowing your center takes time.

If you’re looking to calligraph envelopes, you’re going to want those beauties centered. Knowing how long a word is going to be, keeping it straight and trying to center it on a piece of paper is hard enough. Knowing how long six words together look on a piece of paper, stacked five lines tall and then attempting to center that is even harder. Unfortunately there’s no quick trick to speedy envelope calligraphy. There are wonderful objects like light tables that would allow you to use tracing paper to perfect your flourishes, however when you’re working on 200 envelopes for guests, you may not really have the time to pre-write all of their addresses. Take your time, practice as much as your schedule allows and believe in the process of repetition.

Don’t let the pressure get to you!

One of the first experiences you will have when trying your hand at calligraphy is the understanding that pressure is going to mean a whole lot more than it does when you’re writing with your favorite ball point pen. The nature of a nib allows ink to flow more rapidly when more pressure is applied, spreading the two pieces if your nib apart from one another. However a lighter pressure is needed upon the upstroke of writing a letter to create a very thin line. This upstroke is indeed a training exercise. You may find yourself shaking your fists after your nib catching on your paper and splatters gouache (a mixture of paint and distilled water) all over your beautiful envelope. Have no fear – you will become accustom to the feel and angles and above all, use pressure that works for you and your nib.

Practice makes perfect (and permanent).

Back in grade school when we were taught how to write in cursive, we’re taught to practice our letters over and over again. We were taught the height ratio between uppercase and lowercase letters, how far apart words should be from one another and the fun little tails that some characters had. Practice makes perfect, our teachers would say. Well, the times they are not a-changing. Practice does make perfect and it definitely makes permanent. Make sure that you are creating good, consistent lettering styles while you practice will help your hand to remember what that beautiful letter ‘H’ looks like.

So get out there, calligrapher hopefuls! Don’t be afraid to make a mess and get started on a beautiful relationship between artist and tool.

I can’t recall when I first heard the saying, “keep it simple silly” but I have a feeling it was sometime in my formative years before “silly” used to be “stupid” and long before the teachers had to teach us derivatives in calculus and molecular equations in chemistry. In the fast paced and quick changing world around us (often faster than lightning strikes) we are constantly searching for the simple or clearly defined. The other weekend my dad and I were running a few errands and he grabbed a Patagonia t-shirt. What was so special about it? The graphic. “Live Simply.”

This message of simple resonates with all of us. It’s a longing really. Like the movie The Gladiator with Russel Crowe where he is walking through the golden fields running his hands over the grains and Ridley Scott frames the perfect shot from Russel’s fingertips dancing on the wheat to panning upward revealing the ultimate ‘la dolce vida’ view while Hans Zimmer’s score echos in the background. Simple, right?! But what if we were made for more than just simple?

In my own life as hard as I try to “keep it simple,” sometimes I’m just not satisfied. Now of course there are times where simple is a daily part of life and easier. I’m not talking about these times. I’m talking about the complex algorithms around us that appear effortless and almost accidental like, those that we know are not mere coincidence but derive from something much bigger. Perhaps that’s why I love that we get to create “something from nothing” for our clients. Their dreams are simple, “we’d like to have our wedding at home in our backyard on the water.” But the logistics and steps to obtaining this dream are far from. The end result? Simple. A beautiful backyard wedding at home for the happy couple. Getting there? See this post! And it’s the ‘Getting There,” the complex, the unknown, the crazed and often other-worldly that I love.

I recently watched the movie Burnt with Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. Sure, it may not be winning any Oscars or SAG awards, but it was entertaining. At the beginning of the movie Bradley’s character speaks to the search and constant struggle to achieve perfection, even if perfection isn’t possible, and he utters these words… “it was God who created oysters and apples. You can’t improve on a recipe like that. But it’s our job to try.”

Apples and oysters. Simple? Complex? Needs improvement? Perfection? To those dreamers and doers, it’s all-of-the-above but we can appreciate them for what they are, but see the potential they have for something more.

This Feel Good Friday quote comes from the brilliant writer, Elizabeth Gilbert. Her latest book, Big Magic, has inspired us endlessly. Her profound approach to creativity is enlightening and infectious. We love how she teaches us to live with fear while embracing curiosity. Liz Gilbert is the ultimate cheerleader to help us all create what causes a revolution in our hearts. We are also enjoying her fantastic podcast, Magic Lessons! It is impossible not to be inspired and touched by these incredible stories on the journey of creative living.

In the words of Ms. Gilbert, “Onward!”